Let the Music Play
by Girl With The Striped Ribbon
Summary: Matteney AU. Matthew goes to hear his rather boring friend's choir show, but there he can't help but notice the girl who tells him where to sit —and how utterly gorgeous she is.
1. My Eyes on You

_A/N: Hi! Here's the first chapter of my first Matteney fan fiction ever. I guess it's a little slow and/or boring, but I promise next chapter will be better. This start is slightly based on a true fact: I went to a concert in Barcelona last school year, and the conference hostess who helped me actually looked a lot like CC, so I remember I was like 'OMG'! And well, that's all. Hope you enjoy it!_

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He had been warned about it. Matthew perfectly knew that it was a big deal for his friend Matt to be in one of the city's most important choirs. Moreover, there were advantages: as a singer, he received some tickets from every show they did so his friends or family could get to see the concerts for free. Matthew was also enthusiastic about music, so he kept asking Matt for a ticket until he got him one for that season's last concert.

And there he was. On his way.

It was not that he was disappointed. He didn't regret going there, yet there was a lack of motivation and he felt somehow tired since he had been struggling with his master's degree and doing some extra work here and there. He would also probably feel kind of lonely there because Matt gave the two remaining tickets to their friends David and Jen, who had started dating four months ago and acted like two lovebirds. He wasn't even going to sit next to them, but somewhere further from the stage, because Matt hadn't been able to get adjacent seats for all of them.

He kept himself immersed in his inner thoughts until he reached the emblematic modernist building. Matthew had always thought it was somehow excessively ornate, but at the same time it was his favorite auditorium so far, so at the end he would always be delighted by the inexplicable magic that surrounded it. Actually, that day would be kind of special for him: he had been there before, but he had never seen nor heard a concert inside the auditorium.

Suddenly, his smartphone buzzed inside his pocket, so he unlocked it and two messages from Jen popped up on the screen:

'We're sitting here yet.'

'Matty, where are you?'

He put his phone back into his pocket as he was getting inside the light burgundy building. He wasn't really fond of cellphones and he would be inside in a minute, so he didn't feel like answering. When he lifted his head up and looked around the lobby, he realized it was already crowded. People there were mostly seniors and middle-aged, perhaps some families too. He turned left and went up the first staircase, and then he heard a familiar voice calling his name. He looked up and saw Jen with a pleasant smiling face.

—How are you? I came back here to pick some concert programs for me and David. He said that perhaps Matt's name would appear in it! —Jen said as she went downstairs.

She pointed at the shelf full of leaflets that was right behind him to finally take two of them. She turned around to face Matthew again, as he gave her a forced smile.

—Hey, are you okay? You haven't said anything yet —she asked, with a worried look.

—Hum… Yes, I am. Don't worry. It's just… —he muttered, rubbing his neck.

—Oh, I know —she raised her hand with a firm move, signaling him to stop talking —. It's one of those days, isn't it?

—Yeah. I guess it is.

They had already talked about it when they all first met. Matthew was usually a funny outgoing guy who could spend a lot of days hanging out with his friends with a big smile on his face, but then there were days when he would rather be reticent and remain on his own. It was not that he didn't like people; he just needed to be alone sometimes. And it seemed it was one of those moments.

—Well, don't worry! —Jen patted him on the shoulder with a sweet smile —. I'd better get back with David, just take your time and we'll see you inside.

—Great, see you! —Matthew waved his hand as she was going upstairs.

He took another program from the shelf and took a look at it quickly. After that, he wrapped it with his hand and casually proceeded to go up the stairs that would lead him to the stalls, hoping that Schubert's _Mass No. 6 in E flat major_ would keep him entertained.

—

When he first entered the esthetically appealing concert hall, he felt a little lost. Yes, he had already been there —he went on a guided tour twice with his parents when he was a kid—, but that one was a quite different situation. The room was full of people searching for their seats and Matthew wasn't able to find David and Jen anywhere. For a moment, he internally cursed himself and wished he had arrived earlier.

But then, he laid eyes on her.

Perhaps it was because of the magic that surrounded the hall itself, but that vision charmed him from the very beginning. He had no doubt she was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen: a slim but graceful figure could be noticed in spite of the plain black and warm pink suit she was wearing, her dark hair tied up in a ponytail. She had huge dazzling blue eyes and her sweet features —with adorable freckles all over her skin, he noticed— invited him to get closer.

For the way she dressed, Matthew could say she was part of the staff, and he knew he wasn't mistaken when he took a few steps towards her and saw that she was returning a ticket to an old lady, pointing out some spot at her left, clearly telling her where to go.

He smiled to himself, looking down, and took a moment to appreciate his new current situation: not only was she the nicest-looking human being he had ever seen, but she was about to save him because he sincerely had no idea where to sit. He silently thanked God or Mother Nature —he had never known what to believe in— and waited patiently —or, actually, not so much— for his turn to exchange some words with her.

He was getting more and more nervous as he walked through the crowd, moving closer to her. He had noticed that she had spoken to different people in other languages. He guessed there were a lot of foreigners and tourists, but he wasn't surprised after all: the concert was expected to be remarkable and Matt's choir director was well-known among the public.

—_Su asiento está justo ahí, al lado del pasillo_ —she said to a brunette girl, as he recognized some words in Spanish.

Matthew was lost in his own thoughts again when the couple in front of him thanked the young woman for her help. He nearly missed the opportunity to casually run into her, but he quickly turned to look at her to find her big blue eyes amusingly looking at him.

—Oh…! —he blushed instantly while searching for the ticket in his pocket.

He handed the tiny piece of paper to her without hesitation. She looked at it just for a few seconds and looked back at him.

—_Mire, vaya hacia allí d- _—she suddenly realized she wasn't speaking his language, or at least that was what Matthew guessed she had thought because of the questioning look he had given her previously—. I'm sorry! I'm getting used to speak Spanish today…

—Don't worry —Matthew assured her, contemplating her priceless smile as her cheeks turned slightly red.

—Look, your seat is in that row just behind that column, you'll see the number —she said efficiently, pointing to show me where I should go.

—Great, thank you so much.

She continued with her assignment, so Matthew followed the instructions while he was still being pushed away by the crowd. He found his seat and finally saw David and Jen, who were sitting two rows ahead, waving at him. Jen began to speak to him, carefully articulating his words due to the general noise.

—Aren't you excited? This will be amazing, I can't wait! —Matthew smiled as she showed her growing enthusiasm.

Right then, when everyone was on their sits, most of the hall lights were toned down progressively, indicating that the event was about to start. Matthew looked around once more, trying to find her. He saw her standing there, to the left side of the hall, next to other staff members. He smiled for a second, but he felt helpless when he noticed the small identity label each one of them was wearing on their suits, consequently realizing the lack of a very relevant piece of information.

He didn't know her name.

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_So, I guess this is it for now! Please, let me know if you liked it or if you would like to read more chapters, and feel free to message me or ask me anything you want._


	2. With a Little Help from My Friends

_A/N: Here's the second chapter! First of all, thank you so much to the ones who reviewed and gave this story a chance, it really means a lot to me! :) The title is a clear reference to The Beatle's song, I just thought about it while I was writing the chapter because it kinda has to do with what happens in it... But I don't want to spoil or anything, so keep reading to find out! Hope you enjoy it!_

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When the lights were switched on again, Matthew got up from his seat and walked towards David and Jen to talk about the concert. It had certainly been a great event, he thought, the whole mass sounded amazing: the choir had become a complete unit and the symphony orchestra's performance had been sublime. In spite of sitting almost at the back, the three friends had been able to see the whole stage —they could perfectly see Matt doing his 'singing' faces, which were, indeed, quite funny.

Besides that, Matthew had been lucky, since he had been able to see that unknown beautiful young lady from a different point of view and with a new light. She had stepped up to the stage for a minute to give some prizes to those who had been the concert hall's main contributors. She might have looked timid somehow, yet an adorable conviction along with an elegant promptness was palpable around her. After that, she had discreetly moved from the left side to the back of the auditorium, and he couldn't help but watch her for a little more time; the lights were low, she wouldn't notice anyway.

—Hey, Matt just messaged us —David told Matthew—. He wants us to meet him outside at the back door, and then we're going for a drink. Are you going with us? Lisa is coming too.

—Yeah, okay. Just wait a sec —he said, stretching his head and focusing his attention at the hall's main door, hoping to see if the staff girl was still there and to finally discover what her name was.

But she wasn't there anymore. She was gone.

—What? —Jen asked with a puzzled look, noticing Matthew's slight disappointment.

—Oh! —he reacted, facing them again and trying to conceal his new interest—. It's nothing.

—Okay… —David replied, with a mischievous grin—. Let's head off, then.

The three of them did what David said and met Matt at the back of the building. He led them inside to the rehearsal room, where they could have some quality snacks and even a glass of champagne. David and Matt tried to convince the choral director to perform one of David's compositions —with little success, though— while Matthew and Jen were getting to know some of Matt's choir mates.

An hour later, they walked to a nearby pub. When they arrived, Lisa was already outside, waiting for them. They all greeted her with a hug and entered the pub. When they were already sat and they all had ordered her drinks to the waiter, Matthew looked around with a passive expression, but his eyes widened when he suddenly saw the face he had been looking for all the evening.

She was at a table close to theirs, chatting and constantly smiling. He also recognized some of the staff he had seen at the hall. He admitted he had been given another chance somehow, but it was not that easy for him. What was he supposed to do? Just keep watching her stunning features until she noticed him?

—She's really pretty, isn't she?

Matthew quickly turned to Lisa, still surprised by her question.

—Come on! You're so predictable sometimes —Lisa laughed, patting her friend's back—. I've seen the way you look at her. Do you know her?

—I wish. She was a staff member at Matt's concert today and told me where to sit; good thing she did, because I was kind of lost —he added, smiling slightly and sneaking a peak at her—. And now here she is.

—Wow, you _do_ like her —Lisa said, shocked at her friend's sincere expression—. You know what? I think you should get to know her. I mean, why not? You have nothing to lose.

—Yeah, you're right, but… How? —he asked, hopelessly.

He hadn't finished his last sentence yet when the still unknown girl stood up and walked towards the bathroom door.

—Okay, just wait —Lisa said, with a determined look.

Then, she stood up with an emphatic movement. Before Matthew could say anything to stop her, she had already made her way to the bathroom too. Matthew sat there joining their friends' conversation, yet nervously directing his gaze towards the bathroom door now and then.

Lisa entered the women's bathroom and discretely observed if there were more people besides the girl Matthew liked. She let out a relieved sigh when she saw that only one of the restroom doors was locked. She looked at her reflection in the mirror to mentally prepare herself: she was going to do it for a good cause, Matthew was a great guy and he deserved to meet someone perfect for him.

So, she leaned her back against the sink and began pretending to gasp noisily enough for the other girl to hear her.

—H-Help… P-Please…! —Lisa begged in a thin voice.

—What? —Lisa heard her already worried voice coming from the restroom—. Wait, I'm out there in a second!

After the chain was pulled, the restroom door was rapidly opened to reveal the concerned raven-haired.

—Hey… Are you okay? —she didn't hesitate to stroke Lisa's arms, trying to calm her out.

—I… I can't breathe… —Lisa insisted, successfully acting.

—All right, please listen to me, you're going to be fine —the other girl said, a little bit nervous, looking into her eyes—. I'm taking you outside; you'll be able to breath properly there.

Lisa nodded in agreement and let the girl lead the way while she smiled on the inside: that was just what she had expected to happen.

Matthew couldn't believe his eyes when he saw the two girls going out of the bathroom, the blond one apparently suffering from an anxiety attack —which he immediately knew wasn't true since, in spite of being quite emotional sometimes, Lisa was the most easygoing person he had ever known. What the hell was she doing? When they were almost outside the pub, her friend winked at him discretely and made a slight gesture with her head, indicating him to join them at the street.

While the three remaining friends kept talking unaware to what was happening, Matthew stood up and asked the barman if he had a paper bag: considering his lack of resources, it would come in handy. After that, he opened the door and stepped outside.

—Hey, how's she doing? —he asked.

—She's trying her best, I think she's recovering a little —the girl answered, briefly looking at him.

—Wait, let's hand her this paper bag, it usually works —he suggested.

Matthew gave Lisa the paper bag and she immediately held it in front of her mouth, starting to breath properly. The other young woman also looked calmer, so she could be concerned about a little problem that had bothered her for the last couple of minutes.

—Ugh, this ponytail is so tight it hurts… —she muttered, now with her hands above her head, untying her ebony hair.

She adjusted her hair with the help of her hands and fingers, so it was now loose and wavy. Matthew felt the uncontrollable need to look at her gestures, amazed by her pale freckled skin and her dazzling blue eyes, which now stood out even more because of her dark hair falling at the sides of her face.

—What? —she asked, a little embarrassed, noticing his piercing gaze.

—No-Nothing! —he replied instantly, feeling extremely awkward, not really knowing what to say next—. It's just… You should wear your hair down like this more often. It really suits you.

It didn't take a long time for him to think that he should have bitten his tongue. Nevertheless, he knew he wouldn't have to worry anymore when her expression visibly softened.

—Oh… —she said, slightly bending her head and drawing a smile—. Thanks. I'll keep it in mind.

He smiled back at her kindly. She looked down flattered, putting a lock of hair behind her ear, her smile even wider and her cheeks progressively blushing.

—Cough, cough! Guys… —Lisa interrupted, faking a harsh face.

—Oh my god, sorry! —she exclaimed, paying attention at Lisa again, stroking her arm—. Are you okay?

—Yes, that's just what I wanted to tell you. I'm going back inside —she smiled swiftly and started to walk towards the pub, but then she stopped and looked back at the still unknown girl—. By the way, thank you, huh… I'm sorry, what's your name?

—Courteney —she said, stretching out her hand.

—Nice! I'm Lisa. See you —Lisa replied with a handshake, before finally entering the pub.

Right after that, Courteney's mates walked out and noticed she was still there.

—Hey, we didn't know where you were! We're already leaving. See you tomorrow! —one of them cheerfully said, waving at her.

—Goodnight —she muttered before they quickly turned the corner.

Matthew and Courteney stood there in silence, neither of them knowing what to do. It was him who decided first to break the silence.

—Hey… —he said, rubbing his neck—. Thank you for, you know, helping Lisa. You were really nice with her.

—You're welcome. It wasn't such a big deal. Actually, your paper bag helped a lot too —she replied, with a giggle.

—True —he smiled and nodded slightly—. Anyway, would you let me buy you a drink? I mean, since you've taken the trouble and everything…

—Okay —she answered even before he finished talking, smiling sweetly at his rambling, which she already found truly adorable.

—Great then! By the way, you still don't know my name: I'm Matthew —he introduced himself, when they were already heading back inside.

—Nice to meet you, Matthew —she turned around to face him, still smiling, and shook his warm hand without hesitation.

He smiled at the way his name sounded when she said it, remembering hers at the same time and mentally pronouncing it.

_Courteney_.

And, since that very moment, he knew it would be definitely hard to forget.

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_That was it. What did you think? What would you like to happen next? Don't hesitate to review and let me know your opinion, constructive criticism will be really appreciated!_


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